A HOUSE DIVIDED: Reality of Evil

10th Sunday in Ordinary TimeRCIA Session, June 14

Jesus came home with his disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. -cf. Mark 3:20-35

GOALS THIS WEEK:

To recognize with great honesty the divisions in our own hearts and lives, our own families, our Church, our world - to begin to recognize the cunning of evil and to discern the good

To be presented with the Church's understanding of sin, social evil, and the power of grace to overcome all evil

To pray for the wisdom to understand and live true unity

PRACTICE THE FAITH: Praying that we may be one

Everyday this week, pray John 17:20-26 for a few minutes. What does it mean to you?

REFLECTION TOGETHER: Where is division killing us?

I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they man all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. -John 17:20-24

Have you ever thought of division and disunity as evidence of evil at work?

Make a list of all the evil and division that you see in the world. What, of all these things, worries you the most?

What remedy would you give for the things that divide and create chaos and hatred in our own country? Do you have any hope that we can overcome our divisions and problems? What would be step one? The next step after that...?

Do you know a family or a community that lives a simple and plain life, in union with one another? What are their bonds? What threatens their union? What strengthens their union? What can we learn from their fidelity to unity and love?

What are the things that separate families? What brings your family together? What separates your family: what draws you closer?